Overview
Prabhu Deva is an Indian dancer, choreographer, film director, producer and actor who works predominantly in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi cinema. Widely regarded as one of the most influential film dancers in India, he is known for combining classical Indian dance with Western styles such as hip-hop, locking and popping. He has been a recipient of two National Film Awards for Best Choreography and the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour.
Key facts
| Full name | Prabhu Deva Sundaram |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 April 1973, Mysore, Karnataka, India |
| Father | Mugur Sundar (choreographer) |
| Profession | Choreographer, film director, actor, producer, dancer |
| Active since | 1989 |
| Languages worked in | Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam |
| Notable awards | National Film Award for Best Choreography (twice), Padma Shri (2019) |
Background
Prabhu Deva was born in Mysore to Mugur Sundar, a noted film choreographer in South Indian cinema, and Mahadevamma. He is the eldest of three brothers; his siblings Raju Sundaram and Nagendra Prasad are also choreographers in the Indian film industry. He trained in Bharatanatyam and was exposed to film choreography from an early age through his father's career.
Career
Choreography
Prabhu Deva began his career as a dancer and assistant choreographer in Tamil films in the late 1980s. He rose to prominence with the song "Chikku Bukku Rayile" from Gentleman (1993), directed by S. Shankar with music by A. R. Rahman. He went on to choreograph numerous popular sequences for films including Kadhalan (1994), Indian (1996), Minsara Kanavu (1997) and Lakshya (2004).
He won the National Film Award for Best Choreography for Lakshya (2004) and again for Aaja Nachle (2007).
Acting
Prabhu Deva made his lead acting debut with Indhu (1994). His breakthrough as an actor came with Kadhalan (1994), directed by S. Shankar, where his dancing brought him widespread recognition. Other notable films as an actor include Love Birds (1996), Minsara Kanavu (1997), Kaathala Kaathala (1998) and the Telugu film Premikudu (1994).
Direction
He turned director with the Telugu film Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana (2005), starring Siddharth and Trisha, which was a major commercial success and won the Nandi Award for Best Feature Film. He directed the Tamil hit Pokkiri (2007) starring Vijay, followed by his Hindi directorial debut Wanted (2009) starring Salman Khan, both of which were remakes of the Telugu film Pokiri.
His subsequent Hindi directorials include Rowdy Rathore (2012), R... Rajkumar (2013), Action Jackson (2014), Singh Is Bliing (2015) and Dabangg 3 (2019). In Tamil, he directed Villu (2009) and Devi (2016), among others.
Television
Prabhu Deva has served as a judge and mentor on several Indian dance reality shows, including Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa and Dance India Dance Lil Masters, and various Tamil dance competitions on Sun TV and Star Vijay.
Timeline
- 1973: Born in Mysore, Karnataka.
- 1993: Choreographed "Chikku Bukku Rayile" in Gentleman.
- 1994: Acting breakthrough with Kadhalan.
- 2005: Directorial debut with Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana.
- 2005: Won National Film Award for Best Choreography for Lakshya.
- 2007: Directed Pokkiri; won second National Film Award for Aaja Nachle.
- 2009: Hindi directorial debut with Wanted.
- 2012: Directed Rowdy Rathore.
- 2019: Awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India; directed Dabangg 3.
Personal life
Prabhu Deva married Ramlath, who later took the name Latha, in 1995. The couple had three sons; the eldest died of cancer in 2008. They divorced in 2011. He later married Dr. Himani in 2020.
Significance
Prabhu Deva is often described in the Indian media as the "Indian Michael Jackson" for his agile, fluid dance style that blends Bharatanatyam with Western street dance forms. He is credited with popularising hip-hop and freestyle dance in mainstream Indian cinema and is considered a pioneer who reshaped film choreography in the 1990s. As a director, he has been associated with high-grossing masala entertainers across Tamil, Telugu and Hindi cinema.